Step By Step
by Vatican City
Summary: Step by step, they walk into the future. Thirty prompts, and one sentence for each one.


**Title:** Step by Step

**Pairings:** One-sided Taiwan/Japan, one-sided Russia/China, one-sided Rome/China, one-sided Latvia/Estonia

**Summary:** Step by step, they walk into the future. Thirty prompts, and one sentence for each one.

**Disclaimer:** This is written strictly for entertainment purposes. I do not profit off this piece in any fashion or form, and Axis Powers Hetalia is the property of Hidekaz Himaruya and its producers and publishers. Portrayals of the characters may or may not reflect upon my own beliefs.

* * *

_**1. Time**_  
Except he's not a wizard and he just can't undo the untruths and truths woven into a spider-web of nothings by careless years.

_**2. Cherry Blossoms**_  
Onii-san is so sweet, giving her everything she needs and a sweet _sakura_ to tuck into her hair.

_**3. Story**_  
He doesn't like having stories end on him - they should go on _forever and ever and ever_.

_**4. Rain**_  
"I don't like my weather," China comments, watching the precious, precious water land on his bones and, clinging, slide off.

_**5. Sword**_  
If there's one thing he's learned, it's only honorable to commit ritual sacrifice, not to surrender.

_**6. Lily**_  
_Fleur-de-lys _is a resplendently dainty maiden, and France kisses her little white hand before whisking her off to dance in the mirrored hall with a thousand candles to serve as jury.

_**7. Bamboo**_  
China is clever, taking the yoke upon himself rather than allowing anyone to bear the burden for him, but Russia finds the blisters worn into the slim shoulders by the bamboo yoke to be distasteful.

_**8. Moon**_  
_Le petite Canadienne _is a young god, bathed into glowing silver light as he whirls and dances for France.

_**9. Shooting Star**_  
"Make a wish!" his guardian whispers, so Nihon closes his eyes and wishes for power.

_**10. Rice**_  
Rice is said to be watered by the sweat of the working people, but China can only ever taste tears.

_**11. Wind Chimes**_  
Zephyr is given beautiful chiming shape, one to which Greece is content to close his eyes and listen.

_**12. Glass**_  
In the factory on the branching-out little canal, Veneziano places his lips to the pipe and blows carefully, cradling the white-hot lump of glass with his artist's hands.

_**13. Far Away**_  
"In a land far, far away," England reads to the inquisitive young lad with bright blue eyes and it's really quite true.

_**14. Butterfly**_  
America has a breakfast of honey and toast while it flutters outside on ochre wings.

_**15. Wings**_  
Broad white wings it had, and it let him mount his back - not that anyone believes it.

_**16. Past**_  
England cannot let it go; it feels like a single gossamer thread in his scarred hands, apt to escape his grasp at any time should his grip loosen.

_**17. Snow**_  
Pure and soft, it falls crimson at his feet.

**_18. Night_**  
The darkness hides the defects she does not wish to see. There's only so much she can tolerate without breaking like a small china doll.

_**19. Day**_  
The crimson streak punctuates the sky in one last attempt at daylight before it disappears forever under the rising tide, ravaged by the hungry earth; they watch silently, saying nothing simply because they are their own murderers.

_**20. Colour**_  
"You git! You've misspelt it again!"

_**21. Note**_  
He leaves a note taped on the 'fridge - _Out grocery shopping, will be back soon _- even though no one's there to see it.

_**22. Fire**_  
It's a baptism by fire: Canada's never seen that much carnage all at once, but his hands never shake even a bit, whether he's gunning down the newest wave of Krauts or lighting England's cigarettes for him.

_**23. Path**_  
He has a cottage among the redwoods and stays there when he can, living off mushrooms and berries.

_**24. Symbol**_  
Nihon is afraid to wear jade because he is the devil.

_**25. Lightning**_  
Norway doesn't like his hair because it looks like it had been left in the damp after getting eletrocuted very poorly, so he keeps it up with a barrette even though Denmark mocks him loudly for looking so girly and Iceland barely looks him in the eye anymore.

_**26. Silk**_  
He covets it, the slide of silk between his fingers and the Oriental beauty sitting behind the loom with wary eyes.

_**27. Waterfall**_  
"Can you cut through it with a pair of scissors?" he asks, to humor his oddly serious charge.

_**28. Memories**_  
Five thousand years here and gone, and then some, like grains in an hourglass; he sits and ponders this over a cup of hemlock juice.

_**29. Sleep**_  
They rarely sleep soundly anymore, tortured by screams and moans even though they're not even there anymore: It's a madhouse, see.

_**30. Chance**_  
Should he, by chance, see Estonia in the streets, he might wave someday, shyly.


End file.
